«Ad utrumque paratus» or “Ready for everything”. This is the motto of Navy underwater weapon And also the situation in which the submarine is currently S-81 «Isaac Peral», that after more than a year of tests and evaluations after being delivered in November of 2023it is already prepared “for everything.” Even to unfold on a mission if necessary, because “Everything has come to the hair,” He proudly stands out frigate captain Ricardo populations, Chief of Staff of the Submarine flotilla.
And soon it will, because in the coming months, while just completing the pending certifications and grades, You already have your First exercise with other unitshis first launch of a real torpedo (So far they have launched seven years), their first Participation in a Naval Magazine on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day in the Canary Islands and even Your first mission.
This is confirmed in the Arsenal de Cartagena (Murcia)where is one of the most modern submersible in the world and that offers Spain a key capacity that has been about to lose due to delays, because so far only survived with the S-71 “Galerna”, with more than 40 years of service and to which the useful life had to be stretched.
Inside the “tube”
The reason has visited his “home”, his simulators and has accessed the interior of this “tube” – as they call it – of 81 meters of length in which they live 43 peoplein front of which is the Corvette Captain Manuel Corral Iranzo. A narrow space used to the fullest and in which there is, for example, 80 kilometers of cablemore than 10,000 pipes,180 different systems… and only Two showers and three toilets.
But be one of those 43 “chosen” (the Total endowment is 53 troopsamong them Seven women) is not easy and Anyone is worth it To immerse themselves in what they call “a Very hostile platform in which there are no second opportunities», As the ship lieutenant Francisco Javier Barrioone of the professors of the School of Submarines.
Hostile, yes, but too necessary and strategicbecause “It is the weapon of attack that everyone wants to have And few have, ”emphasizes the Ship Captain Pedro Márquez de la Calleja, Commander of the Flotilla of Submarines, who emphasizes that there are more and more countries interested in enhancing or acquiring this capacity. “Having a submarine in the sea prevents another country from controlling the waters in which it is,” he says.
“A huge jump “
Especially if it is a submarine like the S-81, which is a “huge jump” in capacities and technology Regarding those of the “gallerna” class, The S-70. And is that this submersible built by Navantia It is, despite problems and delays, a key weapon that It provides a deterrence never seen before.
It is designed for Antisubmarine and Antisuperficie War, covert intelligencealert and surveillance, protection of units, offensive and defensive mined, Special Operations and evacuation of civil personnel or Projection of Naval Power on Earthamong many other missions. And all, with a discretion never seen beforewhich will be even more when your AIP propulsion system arrives, which will allow you to load batteries in immersion, reducing its indiscretion and vulnerability Being able to spend more time submerged. A Unique technology in the world that will be integrated from the S-83 «Cosme García» and will be added to S-81 and S-82 “Narciso Monturiol” in its First Great Carena.
Of course, no member of the underwater weapon confirms how much time the maximum can be underwater without leaving, Although during the tests they have reached 30 days. Therefore, in your mind there is a dream, or a challenge: “That the S-81 is the first submarine that crosses the Atlantic under water.”
But until that moment, the Tests and trainingboth on board and in the modern ones simulators. Because although the evaluation phase has been completed successfully, they have to squeeze it before the end of the guarantee period. Everything, with a maxim that the endowment carries internalized: «The self, me, mi, with me is not worth here. The life of one depends on others. The key is humility, ”explains the captain of ship Márquez de la Calleja bluntly.
Because each and every one of the sailors that are introduced into the “tube” have to be not only perfectly prepared, also coordinated To, before any problem, be able toCtuar in seconds. In addition to doing so in a minimum space in which, despite having the latest technology, there is also room for classic instruments “That they do not fail,” as An acoustic tube that communicates the candle with the command and control room or a Inclinometer.
And together with them, the expertise of the troops, because “Under the water you don’t see, alone” (Thanks to the Sónares), as explained by the neighborhood ship lieutenant. So to learn to see with the ears they also have a key element: A listening classroom for hydrophonists, with which they are able to distinguish, for example, a frigate from a fishing fish. Is your particular GPS, because for any maneuver They have to know what they have closeas if to ascend to the surface, something that prepares conscientiously for about 20 minutes.
SEIS Lanzatorpedos Baptized “Tubes”
But also for attack a possible enemyfor which they have to limit the distance to which that threat is to reach it with the torpedo. In total, they carry Six launch tubes Under the first of the five modules in which the submarine is divided, right in the bow. And each of them is baptized with the names of the Arms personnel of the Quilla endowment (The first as the Navy was delivered): Rubén, Paula, Jorge, Gero, Pablo and Javi.
It is, in summary, a ship smarter and more automatedthat’s why there is less endowment than in S-70. But, as they insist on the flotilla, «in an emergency situation, the Decision and controls are taken by staffthat’s why training and work in simulators are so important.
“Training”they repeat incessantly to make more than clear that only the best. That is why they now focus on continuing to form the staff. Navantia was in charge of training the endowment of the S-81 And now it is the Navy that does the same with that of the S-82. At the moment, the crew members of the S-70 continue to train in the ancient simulators, but from next year in that School of Submarines only the new ones will be used, because when the following units arrive the «Galerna» It will have already been discharged (mid -2027). The last calendar marks that the S-82 will arrive in 2026; The S-83, in 2028, and the S-84, in 2030.
That is the future and Now they only look at that present called S-81. «This is the prototype of what is coming And it is a very exciting moment, but also criticalbecause everything has to go well ». More than well, because, as the chief of the flotilla stands out: “It has to last 40 years.”
The calendar that awaits you
►In March He will participate in his first exercise with Navy ships to prepare his operational qualification.
►a ends of May He will travel to the Canary Islands, in immersion, to participate in the Naval Magazine of the Day of the Armed Forces, its presentation in society. The journey will last about a week.
► After parade He will join some maneuvers in the Canary Islands, where he will shoot his first real torpedo.
►In it Second quarter This year it is expected that the “Isaac Peral” will reach its operational qualification.
► His first mission will be integration into the combat group «Daedalo». The Navy still shuffles if it will do so in the second phase (June-Julio) or in the third and last (September-October).